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A flying saucer might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but for decades humans have tried to build them. The technology that allows for flying saucer-shaped aircraft to work effectively has been a challenge for scientists and engineers. Still, there have been a few occasions where such aircraft were (vaguely) successful. One attempt in particular, which took place in 2019, might just be a game changer.
In this gallery, we look back at the times when humans tried to build flying saucers. Click on.
Unlike a fighter jet or a bomber, the flying saucer is an aircraft design that is yet to be mastered. This, however, never stopped engineers from trying to make them.
But first, it’s important to understand why a circular wing might not be a great idea. As far as aerodynamics is concerned, the lift-induced drag makes circular wings inefficient.
The flying saucer poses problems when it comes to stability and control. The arm available is pretty small, making it harder to control.
For designs like the flying saucer, keeping stable at low speeds could be an issue, unless the entire structure spins, like a frisbee.
Sure, this could potentially work, but it would have to be unmanned, as a pilot is unlikely to be able to endure it.
But despite all the challenges, some inventors have tried to make their own versions of flying saucers. Let’s take a look at some of them.
The first experiments with a disc-shaped aircraft date back to 1913 with the Lee-Richards annular monoplane.
An annual or flat ring-shaped wing aircraft was built by Cedric Lee and G. Tilghman Richards, and manufactured by James Radley (here pictured in a monoplane).
The Lee-Richards annular monoplane was taken to Famine Point at Heysham, UK, for trials, but its performance was deemed “not particularly satisfactory.”
While not a flying saucer just yet, the Arup S-2 was a low aspect ratio wing aircraft that deserves a mention. It was developed in the US and first flew in 1933.
Following the events at Pearl Harbor, the US Navy started working on the Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake."
The aircraft had a flat body shaped like a pancake and an "all-wing" design.
The Vought V-173 was developed by aeronautical engineer Charles H. Zimmerman under World War II’s Vought XF5U program. It had its first flight in 1942 and was retired five years later.
This US Navy fighter aircraft shared some characteristics with the Vought V-173, but it was considerably larger and heavier.
The Vought XF5U "Flying Flapjack" was developed by Charles H. Zimmerman (pictured).
The XF5U-1 wasn’t ready until June 1945, so its use to serve in World War II was redundant.
There were rumors that German aeronautical engineers were developing a flying saucer of their own. Could these have been the foo fighters witnessed by both Allied and Axis pilots during the war?
French aeronautical engineer Rene Couzinet designed the Aerodyne RC-360 in 1955.
A 60% concept scale model of Couzinet’s radially symmetric aircraft was built, but the world never witnessed a full-scale one. How it would have worked, we will never know.
Projects Y and Y-2 were the first steps in the development of flying saucers, first by Canada, and then by the US. Pictured is the Project Y mock-up in the Experimental Flight Hangar in 1954.
The Avro VZ-9-A Avrocar was developed as a secret US military project during the Cold War. Developed by Avro Canada, the aircraft was first tested in 1959.
The Avro VZ-9-A used a single "turborotor" to provide lift and thrust. It was designed to reach high speeds and altitudes, but that didn’t quite happen.
The Avro VZ-9-A was initially intended to work as a fighter aircraft by the US Air Force, but it ended up being taken up by the US Army as a tactical combat aircraft (similar to a helicopter).
Pictured are US Army Avrocars portrayed as "flying jeeps" in company literature.
The concept was developed by British aircraft designer "Jack" Frost. Frost went on to register a number of patents on aircraft propulsion and control, such as the air cushion effect used in flying saucer-type aircraft.
Pictured is an image taken from the Avro VZ-9-A manual.
In 2019, Romanian inventor Razvan Sabie and scientist Iosif Taposu unveiled a new All-Directional Flying Object. "The aerodynamics behind this aircraft is the result of more than two decades of work," Sabie said.
"And is very well reasoned in hundreds of pages and confirmed by computer simulations and wind tunnel tests," he added.
Flying saucers are inherently linked to UFO sightings. The technology is not easy to master, and so far it hasn’t been developed on a commercial scale. This has led many ufologists to believe that such advanced technology can only come from outer space.
Sources: (24/7 Wall St.) (Popular Mechanics) (Science Alert) (Hush-Kit)
A history of human attempts to build flying saucers
There have been multiple attempts over the years
LIFESTYLE Aircraft
A flying saucer might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but for decades humans have tried to build them. The technology that allows for flying saucer-shaped aircraft to work effectively has been a challenge for scientists and engineers. Still, there have been a few occasions where such aircraft were (vaguely) successful. One attempt in particular, which took place in 2019, might just be a game changer.
In this gallery, we look back at the times when humans tried to build flying saucers. Click on.